Grant Opportunities to Open September 15 for Dairy Producers and Value-Added Dairy Businesses

The Grants Help Support Improvement Projects and Value-Added Consulting The Center for Dairy Excellence will open two competitive grant programs on September 15, 2023 for Pennsylvania dairy producers and dairy value-added operations who are looking to advance their businesses. Leveraging funds provided through the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center, the…

PA Dairy Performance Indicators Report Released, Discussion to Be Held at Dairy Financial Conference

The Conference Will Be Held on September 13 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania A new “Pennsylvania Dairy Performance Indicators” report is now available. The Center for Dairy Excellence helped facilitate the project while Horizon Farm Credit and Penn State Extension gathered data from their respective benchmarking programs, combined it into one larger, anonymous database, and then analyzed…

Discount Available for Dairy Producers Interested in ‘Spanish for Agriculture’ Course

The Center Is Offering a $100 Discount to Dairy Producers Who Enroll in Fall Course The United States has the second largest Spanish-speaking population in the world, and 80 percent of the agricultural workforce in the U.S. speaks Spanish. To assist dairy farm families in enhancing communication and building rapport with Spanish-speaking employees, the Center…

Dairy Farm Families Invited to “Passing the Torch” Transition Planning Workshop on Nov. 20

The Interactive Workshop Will Feature Family Roundtable Discussions with Outside Advisors It’s never too early or too late to start thinking about “passing the torch” and finding someone in line to transition ownership of your dairy business. Dairy farm families are invited to the “Passing the Torch” Interactive Transition Planning Workshop on November 20 from…

August “Protecting Your Profits” Recording Now Available with Dairy Market Updates

Watch or Listen Back to Hear Dairy Market Updates From August 2023 The Center for Dairy Excellence has published its monthly “Protecting Your Profits” discussion with updates about the August 2023 milk marketplace. The Center’s Executive Director Jayne Sebright invited Jacob Thompson, who serves as a Dairy Business Advisor for Land O’Lakes, to share his…

Starting From the Ground Up: Blair County Dairy Producers Share How They Built Their Herd, Managed Cash Flow and Took the Leap

Donald and Gabrielle Miller don’t have a traditional background in dairy farming, but what they do have is a burning passion for the dairy industry and the courage to start their own operation from scratch. Growing up in Blair County, Pennsylvania, Donald has years of hands-on, boots-on-the-ground experience at local dairy farms. Gabrielle spent a…

Dr. Ken Bailey to Share Updates on Dairy Markets at Dairy Financial Conference

The Conference Will Be Held on September 13 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Dr. Ken Bailey, author of Dairy Economics: Pricing, Policy, and Risk Management and former professor at The Pennsylvania State University and the University of Missouri, will share a detailed update on the dairy market equation during the 2023 Dairy Financial and Risk Management Conference….

Franklin County Dairy Producer Opens Up About Pushing Forward After Barn Fire and Investing in Fully Automated Robotic Barn

Matt Brake Was Interviewed in the New Episode of “Cow-Side Conversations” In the Center for Dairy Excellence’s latest episode of the “Cow-Side Conversations” podcast, Matt Brake of Oakleigh Farm in Franklin County, Pennsylvania shares how they went from a true, 1950’s era dairy farm to a fully-automated, 21st century dairy operation in less than a…

Summer Intern Reflects on Her Roots and Role in Feeding the World

By Jordan Anderson, a sophomore at The University of Wyoming As cliché as this sounds, it seems like just yesterday I began my summer internship with the Center for Dairy Excellence and Dairy Excellence Foundation. To say I have enjoyed it would be an understatement. My heart is overflowing with gratitude for the opportunities, mentors,…

Meet Amanda, a College Senior Who Explored the Dairy Industry Through On-Farm Externship

Amanda Peirson didn’t grow up in the agriculture community, but thanks to the clubs and activities she joined at The Pennsylvania State University, she quickly discovered a strong interest in dairy science. “I have no background in farming whatsoever. I ended up joining Dairy Science Club and other agriculture activities my freshman year, and I…